Hearing in Charlie Kirk murder case revives debate over cameras in courtrooms

Tyler Robinson, 22, faces the death penalty if convicted of murder in Kirk’s death.(CN) — The media at times took center stage during a Thursday hearing in the case of a man facing murder charges in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.An attorney for some two dozen media outlets requested that his clients receive limited party status in the case against Tyler Robinson, 22, who faces the death penalty if convicted of Kirk’s murder. That status would mean those outlets would receive notice of motions and other court filings related to limiting access to records or proceedings. They also would be able to speak in court on those issues.Fourth District Judge Tony Graf Jr. did not immediately rule on the request. He also made no ruling on a motion to seal portions of an audio recording and transcript from an October hearing that was closed to the public, though Graf is expected to rule on both issues Dec. 29.“I need to be narrow in my approach,” he said.Graf did grant a request by prosecutors to clarify a standing order about publicity. Prosecutors had argued the word “witness” in the order was vague and potentially could include the thousands of people who saw Kirk’s shooting at the Sept. 10 Turning Point USArally at Utah Valley University.The judge ruled that “witness” includes members of the prosecution and defense teams, like investigators, consultants and those likely to testify at trial. Those people cannot freely discuss the case publicly.Graf and attorneys cloistered themselves from the public for over two hours to discuss the audio recording and transcript issue. When they returned to open court, defense attorney Staci Visser argued the media’s livestream of the hearing had violated court rules. Her client’s shackles were visible and they’d transmitted private conversations from the defense table. She asked the judge to expel media cameras from the hearing.“We believe this court’s orders are binding,” she said.Attorney Christopher Ballard, general counsel for the Utah County Attorney’s Office, said the judge should take some action.Graf opted against prohibiting the livestream, though he made the camera move from its position near Robinson and emphasized he had the authority to ban broadcasts from his courtroom.“The court takes this very seriously,” he said.While the portion of the hearing focused on the audio recording and transcript took over two hours, the other two issues lasted some 90 minutes.Attorney David Reymann, representing some of the media outlets, said his clients wanted limited party status. The media is an advocate for openness, and no other party represented its interests.Visser pushed back, arguing that if the judge granted the request, she wanted clear instructions on what actions media could take as a limited party.“This isn’t about semantics, it’s about substance. What are they allowed to do?” she said, adding later: “We don’t want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom.”Attorneys also set dates for future hearings in the case.Robinson’s defense team is expected to argue on Jan. 16 why Graf should disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office from the case. On Feb. 3, they’ll argue why cameras should be prohibited from the courtroom.Attorney Kathryn Nester, also representing Robinson, said she needed more discovery given to her by prosecutors before the date for a preliminary hearing can be set. She noted that prosecutors said they’d seek the death penalty the day of Robinson’s arrest.“Normally, that decision is not made until 30 days after a preliminary hearing,” she added.Graf noted he could change a hearing date if needed, seeing no issue with setting the three-day proceeding for May 18, 19 and 21.Authorities arrested Robinson days after the fatal shooting of Kirk, 31, at an outdoor speaking event.Agent interviews revealed Robinson mentioned during a dinner that Kirk would appear at the Utah university and expressed his reasons for disliking the activist, adding that he believed Kirk spread hate.Turning Point USA champions conservative values at high schools and universities. Cofounded in 2012 by Kirk, its stated goal is to identify, educate and organize students, leading them to herald ideals like fiscal responsibility and limited government.The organization boasts a presence on over 3,500 campuses, as listed on its website, calling itself the largest and fastest-growing youth group in the nation.Categories /
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